The New Experiment
by Airmony
Summary: Story is set in the third season of Kyle XY. Kyle discovers a new Latnok experiment, but is she an escapee or just another way to lure Kyle to Latnok? Read and find out! My first Kyle XY fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

The New Experiment

It had been days since Jessi and Kyle had saved Amanda. Days since Jessi had saved him from Latnok. Days since Kyle had been unable to see Amanda. Her mother had forbade Kyle to ever see her again. Although Kyle couldn't blame her, getting your prom date kidnapped does not give you good reviews in the other household, he still got mad at Mrs. Bloom. School had finally been let out for the summer, but to Kyle it was going to be a miserable summer.

Since Jessi had wanted to stay in Washington but Sarah wanted to leave, Nicole decided to let her stay with her family. Jessi was not happy with Sarah. Although she had promised to visit, Jessi knew that she would probably never return. Even though she was burdened by this knowledge, Jessi was the happiest she had ever been in her whole life. At first she and Kyle shared a room, but the first week of summer the whole Trager family cleaned up the attic and made it into Jessi's new room.

At first all seemed to be well in the Trager home. It was almost as if they were a normal family; except for a few commotions between Josh, Jessi, and Lori. All was great until Tom Foss called Kyle one day. He warned Kyle that Latnok was up to something. So far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Kyle left the house early that morning. He had to get away to someplace quiet; someplace he could think. He was headed to the park. He found an alcove of trees so no one could interrupt him. He had heard from some of Amanda's friends that she and her mother were going to move east. Of course she could not tell them exactly where, in case they happened to talk to Kyle. This deeply saddened him because he knew that Mrs. Bloom was moving Amanda against her will.

Suddenly he heard a heartbeat behind him. It was beating quickly, so quickly that he thought it was an animal at first. When he turned around he was startled, what he thought was an animal was actually a girl. She looked to be about his age, or a little younger. She was frozen in mid-stance nothing moving but her long brown hair, which swayed dismally in the slight wind. Her gaze pierced him through. She did not blink; she seemed to not even breathe. All she was wearing was an oversized T-shirt that reached her knees. It was tattered and torn and stained with mud.

An alien conscience touched Kyle's mind for a second.

"Who are you?" he asked. But with the first syllable she took off in the quickest run he had ever seen. He ran after her, but even with his advanced skills he could barely keep up with her. He chased her through the woods for about and hour but suddenly lost her. Kyle quickly went home. Jessi, Lori, and Josh were all out of the house so he went to his room and began to draw a picture of the girl. He closed his eyes and to try to remember the detail. She had a piercing stare; one eye green the other brown. Her arms and legs were nothing but muscles and her feet were bare. All of this he made certain to pay attention to while he was drawing.

After he finished he observed his work for a minute. He heard the others enter the house. Jessi walked into his room with a vibrant bikini in her hands.

"What do you think?" she said holding it up to herself and posing.

"It's nice." He said vacantly. "Look." He said giving her the drawing. She paused and stared for a moment.

"Who is she?" asked Jessi.

"Latnok." Replied Kyle. "I think that she is another experiment, but she's different from us."

"How do you know?" said Jessi in an apparent tone of dislike.

"Well, she outran me barefooted in the middle of the woods with sticks and thorns and rocks all over the ground. Plus she tried to touch my mind with hers."

"I don't like the sound of her."

"Me either." He said thinking. " I just can't tell if she escaped from Latnok or if she is part of a plan to lure us closer."

"Well whatever she is we should be careful with her. Where did you see her?"

"At the park."

"We could track her down together; maybe get some answers."

"It will be difficult to catch her. She snuck up on me, the only reason I saw her was because I heard her heartbeat, but nothing else. She didn't make a sound, not a footstep or breath."

"Let's go find her now."

"No, we better wait 'till tomorrow. I think I scared her off."

"Fine, I'm going to go try this on." She smiled and walked away.

Kyle knew that if he had outright declined Jessi's desire to find the girl that she would cause trouble. He knew that he had to talk to Foss first; so he called him up.

"Kyle, what's up? Has Latnok done anything?"

"Well I don't know yet, today in the park I saw another experiment."

"Damn, are you sure?"

"Yes, she was strange though, different from us. Jessi and I are going to find her tomorrow."

"No! It might be a trap."

"I don't think it is, she seemed afraid of me."

"Hey Kyle can I talk to you about something for a minute?" Asked Josh as he walked into the room.

"Foss I'll have to call you back." Kyle hung up on him. "What is it Josh?"

"Could you please tell Jessi to stop 'Protecting' me all the time?"

"You know that she is just excited about being an older sister; she thinks that she's supposed to protect you."

"Well can you tell her I'm not seven?"

"Why can't you?"

"Cause she'll bite my head off." Said Josh looking pathetic.

"Maybe I'll talk to her about it tomorrow."

"So why did Foss call?"

"I called him."

"What for?" said Josh suspiciously.

"To check up on Adam." Lied Kyle. Josh looked at him not totally convinced but left the room nonetheless. Kyle had decided that he and Jessi go find the girl the next day. Something told him that she was not a lure, but a girl reaching out for help. He felt bad however, about going against Foss's wishes.


	2. Chapter 2

The New Experiment.

Kyle and Jessi were both walking briskly towards the park the next morning. Kyle was really apprehensive; every moment he was listening and watching for anyone who might be part of Latnok.

"So how are we going to catch her?" asked Jessi breaking the silence.

"I don't know, she's really fast. The only thing I can think of is going back to the spot where I saw her and hope that she's there again." When they arrived close to the alcove they split up, each taking a side. Kyle hid behind some shrubbery and waited. After awhile she emerged out of the woods. She crouched down where Kyle had sat the other day and began sniffing the air. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle saw Jessi start forward.

"Jessi wait!" shouted Kyle with his mind. She immediately stopped and looked at him questioningly. But hers was not the only one whose gaze had changed. When Kyle looked back around his eyes locked with the girl's. She cocked her head slightly and slowly brought herself into a standing position. Before she could do anything, both Kyle and Jessi jumped out from their hiding spots separating the girl from the woods and the rest of the park. Instead of trying to run, the girl stood perfectly still. She straightened her head and smiled slightly realizing that she had been tricked.

"Who are you?" said Kyle reaching out with his mind instead of his voice. "What's your name?" At first the girl said nothing, but then the alien conscience touched Kyle again.

_"One seven four."_ Was her simple answer.

"Do you work for Latnok?" asked Kyle with concern. Immediately a wave of anger washed over him. Her face had not changed but her eyes became fiercer.

_"Maybe I don't like you so much after all."_ She said. The way she spoke was so different to Kyle; it was as if everything she did was deliberate.

"Did you escape from them?"

_"Yes."_

"Are there others like you?"

_"None that are human."_ Without warning she turned her body listening intently. _"I suggest you leave."_ She said bluntly. And with that statement she jumped ten feet into a nearby tree. Jessi attempted to follow, but Kyle put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"She's getting away!" she said looking annoyed at him.

"She told us to leave." Said Kyle.

"She talked to you?" she asked looking angry. "What else did she say?"

"That she escaped from Latnok and that her name is 174."

"Like 781227? You mean to tell me that there are 173 more of her."

"No. She said that she was the only human one."

"What are we doing? We should go and catch her and bring her home with us."

"She told us to leave, and I have a bad feeling that Latnok is coming." The Trager house was now in view. It reminded Kyle about something.

"Jessi, Josh wanted me to tell you that he's not seven."

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Jessi frowning and stopping in the front yard.

"Look I know that you are new to the whole sister thing but Josh is a teenager and he supposedly can take care of himself. I don't know what happened at the mall but I think it embarrassed him."

"I just stopped a guy from stealing his wallet. It was no big deal!"

"And how did you do that?" He asked suspecting what had happened.

"I just sort of put him in a head-lock and told him to never touch my brother again." She said realizing that it probably wasn't the best way to deal with the situation.

"Yeah." Said Josh walking in on the conversation. "You made me look like a girl in front of Andy and all of my friends."

"Would have rather had your wallet stolen?" asked Jessi getting angry at Josh's ungratefulness.

"Having my identity stolen would have been better. " He said walking out of the yard onto the sidewalk. "Just don't do it again." Jessi looked unhappy as they walked into the house. From there they split, walking into their respective rooms. Kyle sat down and began another drawing of 174. He couldn't help in thinking that she had warned them of a Latnok assassin. Kyle's phone began to vibrate again. He checked it and it was Foss.

"Listen." said Foss. "I tapped into Latnok's security system. They have had a break out; project 174 to be precise."

"I know." Said Kyle interrupting him. "We talked to her today."

"What? Kyle I told you not to go see her again. There are people out there right now trying to recover her."

"Well we can't just leave her there for Latnok to find." Said Kyle defensively. Suddenly a burst of pain filled Kyle's head. A flash of pictures went through his vision. It was of a girl, 174, hooked up to a series of computers by electrical sensors adhered to her head. Her eyes watered, and Kyle experienced another wave of pain.

"Kyle, what's wrong?" said Foss on the other side of the line.

"I don't know, I think I just had a vision or something."

"What did you see?" said Foss really concerned now.

"It was of the girl, she was being tested by Latnok. It hurt a lot."

"Look Kyle, don't do anything else. I think Latnok will be looking for you and Jessi. Just stay put until I figure out a safe way to capture the girl."

"I don't think that forcibly catching her is going to work. I think we are going to have to befriend her; get her to trust us."

"I don't think that's going to be an option. Just don't do anything yet. I need to talk to Adam." With that they ended their conversation.

Kyle left his room in search of a Tylenol or something to ease the headache that the vision had brought on. Jessi and Nicole were both already in the kitchen when he arrived.

"So where were you two this morning?" asked Nicole clearing away some dishes.

"We went to the park." Said Jessi stepping in before Kyle could. "We made a new friend there. She's kind of shy though."

"Oh. That's nice. Maybe you should invite her over sometime."

"Yeah, maybe." Said Jessi smiling at Kyle.


	3. Chapter 3

The New Experiment

Kyle decided to retire early that evening; even though Declan, Josh, and Andy were all over and having major wars on the Xbox in the den. Having them all over made Kyle think of Amanda. He let out a sight and leaned back in his tub. "Wallowing," echoed her voice in his mind.

_"Do you want to know more?"_ said a different voice in his head; it was 174.

"How are you doing this?"

_"If you wanted to stop me, you could." _She said without remorse. _"Would you like to know more?" _she asked again.

"Yes." Bright light flashed into his vision. He couldn't move, no, she couldn't move; Kyle had taken the place of 174 inside her memory. Several people wearing lab coats stood all around him. With his elevated hearing he could sense thousands of units of lab equipment around him. His sight was so clear, he could see every hair on the doctor's face above him. The doctor took a small light and shown it into his eyes. Kyle tried to blink, but an assistant held his eyes open.

"Looks like her eyes are becoming more predator-like again, but other than that I don't see any other reason to discontinue the next stage."

"I want some more blood-work done." Said someone out of Kyle's view. "Go ahead and sedate her." Kyle felt a needle pierce his skin, and an uncontrollable wave of anger rushed over him. Slowly he felt himself come back to his mind.

"What's the next stage?"

_"I don't know." _She replied quietly.

"Kyle?" said another voice. Kyle shot up into a sitting position. "Are you alright?" said Declan looking worried. "You were mumbling in your sleep."

"I was having a dream." Lied Kyle nervously.

"I can tell when you're lying." Declan stated bluntly.

"I'm not sure I should involve you." He said wanting to converse with Jessi first. "It could endanger you."

"Just being your friend endangers me." Argued Declan. Kyle was about to retort but Lori walked in looking for Declan. They dropped into an uncomfortable silence.

"What is it?" said Lori sighing. "C'mon! I know you two are up to something. You're together, _alone,_ in Kyle's room."

"What's going on?" said Jessi in the doorway behind Lori.

"It's our friend." Said Kyle

"What friend?" asked Declan.

"The one we met in the park." Said Jessi acting like he knew what she was talking about.

"She's like us." Said Kyle getting up and shutting the door.

"What? Kyle, I thought you said that you two were the only ones!" Said Lori incredulously.

"So did we, but evidently not." Said Kyle. "Latnok is looking for her right now."

"Well, if she's like you I think that she will be able to take care of herself." Lori said.

"Not if they're using snipers." Said Declan matter-of-factly.

"We can't disobey Foss." Said Kyle looking at Jessi.

"Who cares what Foss says!" said Declan. "It should be your call; she's like your own family."

"I didn't know you cared so much." Said Lori sarcastically.

"Ouch!" said Kyle grabbing his arm.

"What's wrong?" asked Jessi walking over to him.

"She's been talking to me." He said moving his hand from his arm half-expecting a wound of some sort.

"How? With your mind, like telepathy or something?" Declan asked.

"Yes."

"What did she say?" asked Jessi urgently.

"Nothing, she showed me memories from her experiences of Latnok. They were doing tests on her."

"Why don't you ask her to come here?" said Jessi.

"I could try, but I don't think she'll come." Kyle concentrated for a moment, and then reached out with his mind. "174? Where are you and what's going on?"

_"Nothing"_ came her irritated answer. A slight whir of fear touched him as well the pain in his arm.

"Please come to my home. We can protect you from Latnok."

_"No."_

"You must." He said being firm, but she did not reply. "She's blocked me." Said Kyle to the others. "I think something has happened to her, my arm kept hurting while I talked to her."

"We have to get her." Said Jessi remembering what it was like when she escaped Zyzzx.

"Let's go." Said Kyle giving in. Kyle moved forward then thought of something. "Lori, Declan, you have to stay here. I don't want Josh and Andy to be involved."

"No way dude."

"It's either that or we're not going." Kyle commanded. Declan sighed with disgust.

"Fine."

They all walked back into the den to find Josh and Andy having a major make-out session. Lori tried to stifle a laugh as Kyle and Jessi snuck out the front door.

"ew Josh, on the couch, in plain sight?" asked Lori.

"Oh! Hey guys!" Said Josh surprised.

Kyle and Jessi walked down the steps looking and listening for any signs of Latnok spies, snipers, etc. When they turned toward the street they were surprised. Standing in a shadow on the street was 174. If Kyle and Jessi were normal they would have never saw her, but sonar hearing helped them.

"You said you weren't going to come." Kyle said to her.

_"I was afraid."_ She said standing still.

"What happened to your arm?" asked Jessi out loud. She was first to notice the tear that was bleeding on 174's arm.

_"Distraction." _Said 174 smiling strangely in contrast to the situation.

"Let's get inside." Suggested Kyle who was getting more nervous by the second. 174 was a little hesitant, but she slowly followed them inside. When they entered the house 174 looked extremely out of place; her long hair, dingy T-dress, bare feet, and bloody wound did not help. Declan walked into the hall and jumped at their sight.

"That was fast." Said Declan staring at the strange girl. She eyed him coolly and made a displeased face.

"This is 174," Introduced Kyle. "and this is Declan." She unrelentingly starred at him until he looked away. Suddenly the phone rang. 174, who had never heard a phone before, jumped so far that she hit the wall, and dented it. Nicole, who was in the kitchen, ran to see what the commotion was. She and 174 locked gazes; Nicole automatically knew that she was different; this was going to be fun to explain.


	4. Chapter 4

The New Experiment

"Phone!" yelled Josh, apparently oblivious of the goings-on in the hall. 174's heart was beating so fiercely that it hurt. The alarming sound occurred again; 174 inched towards the door. Kyle reached out and gently grasped her arm below her injury and ushered her to accompany him into the kitchen. "Phone!" yelled Josh again. Nicole, who was slightly stunned, finally snapped into action and answered the phone.

_"What is that sound?" _said 174 shakily.

"It's called a telephone." Kyle replied telepathically. "We use it to communicate with each other over long distances." She did not reply, but merely explored the kitchen with her eyes. They rested on the stove, on which spaghetti noodles were boiling. "Here," said Kyle, "Let me heal this for you." He concentrated and accelerated the healing process with his mind. It made him slightly tired.

"What is going on?" said Nicole walking sternly into the room. She kept her tones low even thought she was obviously upset. Now that she was calm, 174 critically stared at Nicole. Nicole was waiting for an explanation from the others. Lori and Declan both looked wary, but Jessi broke the silence.

"She's another experiment, only, Latnok created her and not Zyzzx." Surprise was evident on Nicole's face, but worry was also evident.

_"I like her." _Stated 174 to Kyle. Nicole was speechless for a moment; she stirred the noodles for second, and then looked up at them again.

"What else?" she asked.

"We do not know much more," said Kyle, "We know that Latnok is after her, and we went against Foss's wishes to make contact with her." Nicole knew that Kyle felt bad about this.

"Don't worry Kyle, I'm sure he'll understand." Nicole studied 174 for a minute, "Girls why don't you take…" she stopped for a moment, "What's your name?" she directed to 174; she did not respond.

"She doesn't have a real name yet." Said Kyle disapprovingly. "Her number is 174."

"Well why don't you girls take her upstairs and get her cleaned up, Lori make sure you let her borrow some of your pajamas." Lori looked at her mother grudgingly but motioned for the girl to follow her. 174 didn't know if she should trust them, she looked at Kyle. He nodded, and she nervously followed them. "Declan, may I speak to Kyle alone?" He nodded and sauntered into the next room. "Kyle, I'm sorry to say this, but the house is getting smaller and smaller, if you know what I mean." He looked at her knowingly; he knew that Nicole could only help so many people. "I feel bad in saying that, but we cannot keep taking in more people."

"I'm sorry, it was kind of an emergency." He blurted out. "I need to talk to Foss, maybe Adam and him can take 174 in." A loud thump resounded from the second floor. Both he and Nicole looked up. "What's going on?" said Kyle contacting 174 again.

_"Nothing" _she replied innocently.

"I doubt it." He said sensing her pleasure.

_"I like baths." _She twittered evasively. Kyle no longer questioned her; as long as Jessi and Lori didn't complain down to them he figured everything was under control.

"She's very quiet." Said Nicole not noticing his concentration. He laughed.

"She talks to me with her mind." Nicole looked up surprised. "She's different from Jessi and I. I think that she was a regular pregnancy, but her genes were altered."

"Is she as smart as you?"

"I don't know, but she's more stealthy and faster than I." Kyle's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He anxiously pulled it out and saw that it was Foss. "Time to face the music." He elaborated to Nicole. He walked into his room as he answered the phone.

"Hello?" asked Tom from the other end of the line.

"It's me." Said Kyle

"Has anything happened?"

"She is here, with us." Said Kyle ripping off the band-aid fast.

"As I expected." Kyle was taken aback.

"You're not mad?"

"Furious." He replied. "What ever you do make sure that Latnok does not harm you or Jessi, and keep an especially close eye on 174." Kyle tried to respond, but Foss interrupted him. "Adam had no knowledge about this project, which means that Latnok is keeping secrets from him. Just keep an eye on her. For some reason Latnok REALLY wants her to stay a secret, but it could be a ploy. Just be careful."

"Nicole is worried; I don't want to put a burden on her by adding another member of the family."

"Maybe Adam can take her some where to be safe."

"Kyle!" yelled Nicole from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

"I have to go now." Said Kyle. "Call me when you have a plan." Kyle was happy to end the conversation. Light laughter sounded behind Kyle. His body tensed as he spun around. 174 was standing behind him; she looked odd with the T-shirt and flannel shorts that Lori had given her on.

_"Be careful because I'm dangerous." _She said. Kyle was worried because he didn't know if she was serious or not. _"That's what __**they**__ wanted; the perfect predator."_

"What are you?" Kyle asked.

_"Many things… Cat, deer, owl, hawk, fox… cunning, stealthy, strategic, balanced, fast, strong… sad." _The last thing she said more softly_. "However, human."_ She stared at Kyle's belongings with interest. _"Who is that girl? Is she of importance to you?"_ she was staring at the many pictures of Amanda that Kyle kept tacked up on the bulletin board.

"She's my girlfriend." He replied with a pang of sadness in his voice.

_"Yet you are lonely?" _he did not reply immediately.

"Her mother refuses to let her see me anymore." He explained.

_"I am lonely as well." _She sympathized. Kyle watched her for a moment.

"It's time for dinner." He said hoping to distract her from their current subject.

_"Smells wonderful." _

"What did you eat while living in the park?" asked Kyle in serious wonder.

_"Plants, animals and insects." _She said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

**"**Well I'm sure you'll like spaghetti much more than all of those."


	5. Chapter 5

The New Experiment

Kyle groggily began to awaken. It was the best night of sleep he had since Amanda's kidnapping. He dozed slightly; reliving the dream he had about last night's dinner. Everyone ate in silence. Josh kept looking at him with many questions, but he remained at ease in order to avoid tipping-off Andy. This helped the family begin to act normally; as if 174 were not there. She slowly ate in silence. She stared at everyone. Kyle watched her; ready for her to suddenly attack. Slowly her lank tendrils of hair turned into the golden color of Amanda's hair. He watched the transformation rise up until it was Amanda sitting in the chair across from him instead of 174. She smiled at him, and no one else acted any different. It made him feel happy to see her; they just starred at each other for a while. Kyle slowly opened his eyes. He jumped; startled that Amanda's face had turned into 174's, except the fact that that this was reality and not a dream.174 was perched motionlessly on the end of Kyle's tub.

_"Your dreams are most interesting." _She said nonchalantly.

"You saw that?" said Kyle feeling that his privacy had been breached.

_"Was it wrong?" _She asked sensing his resentment. _"I'm sorry, they were just so easy to see. They are very different from Josh's dreams." _She continued, changing the subject to distract him.

"You watched Josh's dreams too?" he said incredulously.

_"Yes. Everyone's in fact, well, except for Jessi. She hides contempt towards me, but I can sense it." _

"You can sense it?"

_"Yes, I can tell things about a person when I first meet them. Like you for instance; I liked you the moment I met you. I did not like Declan, however." _

"What's wrong with Declan?"

_"He's, insecure." _

"You're very particular about things." Studied Kyle. "How was the wardrobe?" He said remembering the slight disturbance over it last night.

_"A bit cramped." _She stated honestly. _"I think I'll try the closet in Nicole's office next." _ Kyle decided not to question her about her preference for the closet instead of the air mattress. He knew that it was like his tub; it made her feel safe. The more Kyle talked with 174, the more he began to understand her and not feel so wary around her. She still sat perfectly still on the edge of his tub, apparently in deep thought.

_"Why don't you go talk to her, this Amanda? Her mother could not possibly be stronger or faster than you." _

"Because the last time I tried to talk to her I made things worse than they already were."  
_"I could talk to you for her." _She stated. _"It would be easy for me to sneak in." _

"Even if I agreed," Said Kyle smiling, "you still wouldn't be able to get in. They have an alarm system, plus her mom keeps a watch on her at all times."

_"Wouldn't be a problem for me." _She replied confidently.

"What's going on?" Said Jessi slipping through Kyle's door. 174 showed no sign of surprise.

"174 wants to talk to Amanda for me." He told her sarcastically.

"How?" asked Jessi sincerely.

_"Secret." _Said 174 to both of their minds. Jessi's gaze hardened at once.

Soon everyone was awake, and bustling around to eat breakfast. 174 simply observed everyone while they avoided her, except for Nicole. She kept trying to make her feel welcome, and Kyle would catch her jolts of amusement from time to time. Everyone was sitting at the table, which was now rather crowded.

"You really need a name," said Nicole. "It's going to be complicated for the kids to introduce you to their friends if you don't have a name." Nicole smiled, but 174 remained expressionless.

"Why don't you pick your name?" Kyle asked her out loud. She thought for a moment.

"I like the name Josh." She stated; talking out loud for the first time.

"That's my name!" Josh argued. Her voice was strange. It was soft but with an air of elegance and maturity that Kyle had never heard before. That wasn't the thing that startled him the most, but he swallowed his questions for later when they had privacy.

"Josh is a boys name." Lori told her.

"Why don't you give yourself a name that means something," said Kyle knowing that she would like the idea.

"Essence." She threw out into the open.

"Yes, give yourself a name that says who you are, like the essence of yourself." Said Nicole

"No, Essence _as_ my name."

"That's not really a name." said Lori cutting her pancake.

"How can I name myself if I do not know who or what I am? Therefore, all I do is exist and that is what essence means 'to exist'." Everyone starred at her, gaping, except for Kyle and Jessi of course. She smiled slightly knowing that she had boggled their minds. After everyone had finished their breakfast, Nicole gave strict orders to take 174, or should I say Essence?, to the mall and get her some clothes and shoes. Right now Lori loaned her a summer dress because she detested tight jeans, and some flip flops, which she also detested. She walked around the house making disgusted faces as she heard the sound of the shoes clap on the ground. Once Kyle had her alone, he let his avalanche of questions fall.

"Why does your outside voice sound different than your inside voice?" Kyle asked.

_"How do you mean?" _ She answered smartly.

"When you talk to me with your mind you sound different than when you talk out loud. Why?"

_"It's because I learned to think before I could speak. I'm sure you sounded different too, at first, but now you have learned the sound of your own voice." _ Kyle could not believe the simplicity of her answer; it stunned him for some reason and he couldn't find. _"You still have much to learn." _ She replied seriously. They all then proceeded to get her to the mall; a much larger challenge than they would have first thought.


	6. Chapter 6

The New Experiment

"No!" Said Essence resisting both Kyle and Jessi's grasp. She was obviously afraid, but to an onlooker the scene would have been strange; a girl and guy trying to pull another girl, who was physically smaller, into a vehicle.

"C'mon!" growled Jessi becoming frustrated. She climbed into the backseat. Jessi pulled and Kyle pushed until all of Essence's extremities were all inside the SUV. Josh quickly slammed the door and let out a sigh of relief. He jumped into the passenger seat, and Nicole drove quickly onto the street. Essence frantically dug at the door, thank goodness for child lock, but soon calmed and sat motionless in the seat.

"Finally!" exclaimed Lori. "I thought you were going to have an aneurysm." Essence ignored her and slowly became more comfortable.

"Why were you so scared?" Kyle asked her with his mind. She stared at him for a second; forming her answer.

_"The last time I was in a car things didn't end well." _She replied; Kyle assumed this was the only answer he was going to get.

Once they arrived at the mall, Kyle and Josh met up with Declan while Lori, Jessi, and Nicole all took Essence shopping. They stopped at Jcpenny and began their search for her new wardrobe. Essence simply watched while Lori and Jessi piled clothes into Nicole's arms. She also warily watched the people around her, the mall was quite crowded and she had never been around so many people.

"Here we go!" Jessi said holding up a bright and colorful bra.

"Is it the right size?" asked Nicole not noticing the irritable look on Essence's face.

"I don't know." Jessi stated; automatically calculating in her head. "I guess she could try it on."

"You're not supposed to try on undergarments."

"You're allowed to try bras on, Mom." Said Lori taking it in her hands. "If it makes you feel better I'll hide it between these to shirts." Before Nicole could argue Lori walked towards the fitting room. Essence trudged behind, not looking forward to the even more crowded fitting rooms. Once they got past the sales clerk, Jessi and Lori pushed Essence into one of the stalls.

"Try the bra on first." Said Jessi with her head still peeked in. she closed the door and waited impatiently.

"Does it fit?" The door clicked and swung open, revealing Essence in her underwear and the bright bra.

"Are you trying to torture me?" she said to Jessi.

"Get back in there and try something else on." Demanded Nicole quickly as many people stared at her lack of modesty.

"Maybe we should get her some sport bras too." Stated Lori unabashed. "She's not very well endowed anyway, and she might like them better." Soon the ordeal was over and they all went to the food court to meet up with the boys.

While they waited Hillary unexpectedly appeared; excited to see Lori for the first time since school was let out.

"It's been forever since I last saw you!" she said hugging her friend. "Hi Jessi." She said respectfully.

"Hello." Jessi answered back Hillary and Jessi were not friends, but they weren't enemies either.

"And who is this?" Said Hillary spotting Essence, who was sitting in a chair next to Nicole.

"Uh, this is one of Jessi's old friends from before she moved to Seattle." Lori quickly conspired. "Essence, this is Hillary, Hillary, this is Essence."

"Cool name." Said Hillary politely.

"Listen, Hills, why don't you meet us at the pool on Saturday, that way we can catch up with each other. Plus, Jessi and I want to try out our new bathing suits."

"That's a wonderful idea!" exclaimed Hillary. "I just got a new bikini too." She was obviously thrilled, and went off to get her some sunglasses to match. Everyone relaxed again when she said her final good-bye and happily walked away.

"Why'd you have to make her my friend." Said Jessi annoyed.

"It was the only good excuse I could come up with quickly." Snapped Lori. "Do it your self next time, you're the genius."

"Girls." Said Nicole calming the argument. "Look, there's the boys." Before anyone could stop her, Essence ran unnaturally fast to Kyle.

_"How dare you leave me alone with them."_ She said mentally stinging him.

"It was necessary." He replied, cringing from her attack. She decided not to say anything else; she felt bad for her sudden anger.

Once they arrived home, Nicole started dinner as everyone else split up, doing whatever they pleased. Essence slinked silently around the house, observing the way everyone interacted with each other. She had put on the simplest of her outfits; a pair of gym shorts and a cotton T-shirt. She snuck upstairs, her bare feet barely padding on the carpet, and spied on Lori who was talking on the phone.

Soon the aroma of dinner hit her nostrils, and she lumbered back down the stairs and into the kitchen. She waited in her seat at the table while Nicole mashed some potatoes on the counter. After she was done with the potatoes, Nicole took the banquet chicken out of the oven and called for dinner to begin. They all ate, chatting wildly about the mall trip, Hillary, and the bright bra. Essence did not care what they said. She just kept eating and eating. On her fourth piece of chicken and second helping of potatoes they all began to notice.

"Slow down." Said Kyle. "Why are you so hungry."

"Is it bad?" she asked halfway to another bite of potato.

"I guess not." He said, his eyes finding Nicole. Soon dinner was over and Kyle went to his room; he was still waiting for Foss to reply. He heard her heartbeat behind him, so he was not startled when he turned around to see Essence standing behind him.

_"Why won't you let me talk to her?" _starting her argument about Amanda again.

"It's just not a good idea." He said.

_"Write her a letter and I'll give it to her." _She said thinking that the problem was the 'talk' part of her proposal. Kyle paused for a minute.

"Maybe I'll think about it." He said knowing that she wasn't going to leave him alone.

_"That's all I'm asking." _She said going to her new room: Nicole's office closet.

It was the next morning and Kyle was happy to not find Essence in his face today. He got up early so he could take a shower before everyone else. He found his clothes and headed toward the bathroom. He opened the door and was surprised to find Essence sitting on the floor leaning against the tub. Her face was pale, but she stared at him with an unreadable expression.

_"I think I ate too much last night."_


	7. Chapter 7

The New Experiment

It was Saturday and all the Tragers, plus Essence and Jessi, were getting ready for the trip to the pool. Essence walked randomly around the house, but stealthily avoided anyone who happened to come near.

"Have you seen Essence?" asked Lori with a light green bathing suit in hand.

"She's right there." Said Kyle pointing to the couch.

_"Traitor."_ She said standing stick straight.

"You should be happy that they are trying to involve you." Said Kyle out loud.

"You'll like the pool." Said Lori warmly. "Go and put this on." She ordered, holding out the bathing suit. She reluctantly took the suit and strode to the bathroom. Soon afterwards she came out of the bathroom with her new suit on. It was a normal halter-top bikini that was a light green that wasn't too bright and didn't wash her out. It looked good of course, only complementing her petite, muscled body. She was not uncomfortable at all about being half naked in the middle of the house.

"That doesn't make me feel good about myself at all." Said Lori seeing her six-pack and rippling muscles.

"Put some clothes on." Said Jessi walking downstairs with a cute bathing suit cover-up on. "Hurry up Josh!" she called upward. He rushed downstairs looking as if he had just succeeded in some sort of competition.

"I convinced Andy to come!" Josh announced happily.

"No surprise there." Remarked Lori.

When they arrived at the pool it was sunshiny and warm, many people were already there enjoying the sun.

"Rule one." Said Lori, "No showing off. Two, no taking off clothes. Three, act normal." She paused. "Oh yeah, no drowning either." She stalked off to find Hillary. Jessi smiled at Lori's bluntness and followed Lori to put her cover up on the table that she and Hillary had taken over. Jessi's bikini was in her favorite color, dark purple. She walked to the side of the pool and gracefully dived in.

_"Why do all of these people have to be here?" _Essence asked, looking uncomfortable for the first time.

"They are just enjoying the pool like the rest of us." Kyle replied mentally. He looked around for a second; half hoping that Amanda would be there. After scanning the area he took Essence's hand and pulled her forward to the pool.

"Just jump in.," he said. "You get used to the water faster."

_"It's not like I haven't gone swimming before." _She said jumping in. _"It's much better naked… and by yourself."_ Kyle followed her in, hoping that the splash would hide his laughter.

They spent hours at the pool, and when they arrived home Nicole was already starting dinner. Her and Stephen were both chatting happily when they entered the kitchen.

"How did you like the pool?" Nicole momishly asked Essence. Her eyes instantly lit up.

"I really liked it, you don't have to wear shoes or clothes." She said excitedly. "Can we go again tomorrow?" Both Nicole and Stephen looked a little stunned. Jessi shook her head quickly in the background.

"What happened?" asked Nicole regretfully.

"Nothing actually." Said Lori sincerely.

"Jessi just doesn't want to go back because there was some creepy old man checking her out," said Josh looking thrilled. Jessi groaned miserably.

Soon it was after dinner. Essence ate just as excessively as ever. She slinked into Kyle's room while he was looking at his computer. She looked over his shoulder, not finding any interest in what he was doing, but on his desk she spotted something.

"_You wrote it." _She stated quickly snatching up a letter addressed to Amanda.

"It was just something to make me feel better." He said already trying to get the letter away from her. An impish look went across her face.

"_See you in a few minutes!"_ She raced out his window into the night, his worried voice shouting after her. She snuck into the Bloom's yard and spied through a window. She saw a woman, Amanda's mom, watching television. Essence heard Kyle following her; so she swiftly jumped into the air and landed quietly on the roof. Kyle followed in pursuit, but she found her entrance: a large chimney. Essence's slender body barely fit through it, but she carefully shimmied down, escaping Kyle's wrath. Even though the fireplace had not been in use for a while, the chimney was still covered in a layer of black soot. Once she got to the bottom of the fireplace. She carefully extracted herself; not even disturbing Carol's TV show. Trying not to get too much soot on anything, Essence made her way to Amanda's room. It was empty.

She hid behind the door when she heard a bathroom door open. Amanda walked in still brushing her slick, wet hair. Essence quickly grabbed her mouth and prevented her from screaming.

"I have a present for you." She said holding the letter in front of the struggling Amanda. For a second she stopped, recognizing Kyle's handwriting. "I'm going to let you go now." She released Amanda, leaving a black handprint across her mouth. Amanda was still scared silly, but she shakily opened the letter all the same. Her eyes changed quickly through many emotions, happiness, sadness, and fear. "Please write him a letter back." Essence requested.

"You're Kyle's friend?" she said looking up from the letter.

"Yes." She looked Essence up and down.

"How did you get in here?"

"Secret." Essence said giving her the same answer she had given Kyle days before. Amanda looked at her warily, but then moved to her desk to answer Kyle back. Essence wondered how Amanda could be so trusting; it must have been something Kyle had said in the letter. Essence stood unmoving for a whole fifteen minutes until Amanda gave her the letter. "Thank you." Said Essence already taking the letter and leaping out of the room; she hoped that Amanda would not follow her downstairs.

When Essence had successfully exited the chimney she confidently gave the letter to Kyle, who was waiting for her on the roof. He looked happy for a moment, but then turned gravely toward her.

"You must have scared her to death." He said feeling sorry for Amanda. "I can't believe you did this." Essence, however, did not stay to get chastised. She quickly ran to the house, jumping evasively through the window and to the bathroom. Kyle read Amanda's letter alone in his room. When Essence returned, her face, arms, and hands were soot free. She did look a little paler than usual.

"So where is Amanda's mother taking her?" she asked him in earnest curiosity.

"It's better than I expected," answered Kyle. "They're only moving to a city called Pullman. Amanda's Mom intended to scare me." Kyle smiled his famous happy smile. It was the happiest Essence had seen him.


	8. Chapter 8

The New Experiment

Foss called Kyle shortly after that. He had said that Adam could not take Essence in, but Kyle assured him that she was fitting in with the Tragers perfectly. Of course there was the endless warnings to be careful, and a possible plan that Adam would come to visit. Other than that, all was well. Essence mostly kept to herself, but coincided with everyone fine. They all were beginning to enjoy her strange personality, and she enjoyed them. The whole family began to spend more and more time at the pool because it was one of the things that Essence enjoyed most. It was on one of those sunny days at the pool when things started to heat up.

Essence walked toward her family, water dripping as she neared. It was about the fifth time she had jumped from the diving board, which was now normality for her. People did not stare as much anymore, they had gotten used to her presence. In fact, some people even tried to make friends with her, but she was very anti-social towards strangers.

"I give it a seven point nine." Said Kyle judging her dive from his chair. She laughed sarcastically and brushed her hair out of her face. It was then when they all heard a sickening thud. Essence's eyes grew wide, surprised etched over her face. She automatically reached to the small of her back. Her hand jerked up to her eye level; in her hand was a tranquilizer dart. It was already taking affect when Kyle rushed towards her to prevent her from hitting the cement.

"Essence!?" He said out of shock and worry. Thinking fast, Kyle took the dart and broke the needle off, shoved it into the pocket of his swimming trunks. People had begun to crowd around, and he had to come up with an explanation fast.

"I think she might of got too hot." He said picking her up. "I'm going to get her in the air conditioning." The people around him agreed with concern. Kyle gave Jessi a look; she looked around warily as they all walked into the main pool entrance. They quickly exited the building and loaded into the car. Lori drove hurriedly out of the parking lot.

"I can't believe they would do something like this out in the open!" said Kyle disgusted as he looked down at Essence who was still lying limply in his arms.

"I can," said Jessi. "They're getting desperate."

"Latnok didn't seem real 'til now." Said Josh at his revelation. "How am I going to explain this to Andy? She saw the whole thing." Kyle gave a massive look of concern. He did not know, as of yet, what they were going to tell her.

When they arrived home Nicole and Stephen were both as shocked and disturbed as the rest were.

"What should I do with her until she wakes?" Kyle asked Nicole.

"You should probably just let her sleep in her _room_." Nicole replied, she still resented the fact that Essence did not really have a real room of her own. Kyle carried her into Nicole's office and opened the closet. He looked with interest at the contents of the closet. On one side was a pile of clothes, most still had the tags on them, and on the other a bundle of blankets and a pillow. But what surprised Kyle were the many drawings that Essence had tacked to the closet walls. They depicted the Trager family, Amanda, and what seemed to be the park. There was even one of Jessi, in which she used unexpected bright, pastel colors. In fact, all of the artwork seemed to portray each person in a different way than expected. Josh was strong and enduring while Nicole looked loving but burdened. It seemed to show the sides they didn't show to the public, with tidbits of what they did. But the portrait of Kyle was different from everyone else's; it looked no different than what he looked like now. He wondered why his picture was so different.

Feeling that he had some how invaded her privacy, Kyle left Essence to sleep. He walked back into the living room, and stared at the TV with the others. However, he did not watch it. He was listening for danger; he glanced at Jessi and could tell she was doing the same. Suddenly Kyle caught a heartbeat nearing the house, but it was one he recognized. He hopped up off the couch as the doorbell rang.

"Adam?"

"Don't be so surprised Kyle, I told you I was coming." Said Adam smiling.

"You said that you might come. Why didn't you call?"

"Latnok might be tracing your calls and I didn't want them to know I was here."

"Hello Adam." Said Nicole politely; just as surprised as Kyle. Adam greeted Nicole genially.

"So where is the girl?" said Adam getting straight to the point.

"She's suffering from a tranquilizer dart." Said Kyle regretfully.

"When?" said Adam, now being the surprised one.

"At the pool today." Replied Kyle. "They shot her in front of everyone there." Adam looked worried, sharing the twin expression on Kyle's face.

Essence groggily came to; she felt wobbly and nauseated. She silently ran to the bathroom and retched. She cleaned her mouth out and sat on the edge of the bathtub holding her stomach. She heard an unfamiliar voice downstairs, but that mystery was going to have to wait until the sickness passed.

"Is everything okay in here?" asked Jessi looking into the bathroom, so much for privacy. Essence shook her head, not wanting to concentrate on speech at the moment. "Adam Baylin is here." Continued Jessi. "He's the one that created Kyle." Essence's eyes grew wide in fear; she didn't like scientists. "He isn't going to hurt you. He has always kept Kyle and I safe. He here came to meet you." Essence once again refused to say anything. Jessi's sudden kindness ran to its end and she left Essence sitting alone in the bathroom again.

After she regained some sort of comfort, Essence tiptoed down the stairs and towards the living room. She peaked in, seeing Adam seated on the couch next to Kyle and Josh. On instinct, she jumped clear across the room, landing on the coffee table in front of Adam. Everyone jumped at her sudden entrance and became silent, making the TV the only sound in the room. Essence's different colored eyes bore into Adam's as she crouched stiffly on the table.

"What are you doing?" Kyle asked her.

"_Inspecting." _She stared at Adam with unrelenting eyes. He starred back, unperturbed. _"I don't like it when people are difficult to read."_ She said only to Adam. Adam did not answer, but concentration enveloped his face. Essence's eyes widened, and without warning she crashed off of the coffee table and out the door before anyone could even blink.

"What happened?" Kyle asked already getting up to follow her.

"I think I found out something she didn't want me to know." Stated Adam.


	9. Chapter 9

The New Experiment

"What did you find out?" asked Kyle seriously.

"I don't know. I think it was something personal about Latnok."

"I have to go find her."

"Do you need my help?" asked Adam.

"No, I think I know where she is." Said Kyle thinking that Adam's presence would be a definite negative in his case.

"Then I must be going." Said Adam resigning. "I don't want Latnok to cause you any more problems for today." Kyle followed Adam to the door, giving him a few more words of farewell.

"I'll be back shortly." Kyle said to his family.

"Wait!" said Jessi running down the stairs.

"You can't come either, Jessi." Commanded Kyle.

"No matter how much you don't like to admit it, Kyle, she's dangerous. And she's even worse when she's emotional; take it from someone who knows."

"That's exactly my point, what is she going to do when sees that you came with me."

"Fine." Resolved Jessi. "If you're not back in an hour I'm coming after you." Kyle knew that he couldn't budge her decision. "You better start moving, I'm already counting." She said sitting down on the porch chair.

Kyle took off at a run. The formerly beautiful day had turned dark and stormy and raindrops were already starting to fall when he reached the park. It was completely vacant not a soul in sight, well except for Essence. She was sitting, hugging her knees, in the middle of the merry-go-round. She was rotating slowly round and round. Kyle walked up and stopped it when she was facing him. Her clothes were soaked and her feet were bare. Her eyes were bright, but there were tears mixed with the rain on her face. She kept her gaze down looking like she was ashamed of herself.

"Do you want to tell me what you showed Adam?"

_"Showed him?" _she mentally yelled at him. _"I didn't show him anything, he got into my mind and saw everything." _She was already standing, shaking furiously. Kyle stood calm; he knew that he had to keep composed when she was angry.

"He didn't understand what he saw." She looked surprised, but not totally convinced. The storm was beginning to rage around them, much like the emotional storm that was raging inside Essence. She looked like she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. Kyle gently stepped onto the merry-go-round and cautiously embraced Essence. She automatically stiffened; Kyle assumed that this was probably the first time she had ever been hugged. She burst into silent sobs and hugged Kyle back like a little kid who had just been forgiven for doing some sort of wrong.

"You don't have to tell me what it was." He said softly after a minute. "But I wish you would." Kyle stooped down and lifted her, and, like a toddler who had fallen asleep on the couch, he carried her home. Jessi jumped out of her porch chair when she heard him near the house. She stopped when she noticed that Kyle was carrying Essence.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked, but not that worried.

"Nothing," Kyle replied. "She's just asleep." Jessi pushed the information aside and continued to question him again.

"What did she show Adam?"

"Let's not talk about this now Jessi." Said Kyle. "Just let me put her to bed." Kyle walked inside and, for the second time that day, he lay Essence down into her bed. He then walked into his room and found Jessi waiting there.

"I don't know what Adam saw, but she won't tell me what it was." Kyle started. "I don't think it's anything dangerous because she would have done something already."

"Why won't she tell you, she likes you a lot? Well, at least more than anyone else in this house."

"I don't know, but I think it was something traumatic." He thought. "We should keep a close watch on her. If you ever notice anything different about her tell me. Maybe we can guess what it is and we won't have to force it out of her."

"I don't like not knowing everything about her." Jessi stated.

"Well she doesn't know everything about you either."

"And that is the way it's going to stay."

"Just watch her."

"Fine."

The next morning no one acted as if anything had happened the night before. Essence even acted that way, which Nicole explained as normal. Kyle and Jessi, however, were both always calculating and watching; they were not always inconspicuous.

"Have you gained weight?" Jessi asked Essence carelessly.

"Yes!" Snapped Essence. "What do expect when all I do is sit around here and eat your fatty human food."

"Maybe you should go exercise." Jessi shoved back.

"Yeah, maybe." Essence sarcastically added. "Want to race?" Jessi shut her mouth fast. Last time they had raced Essence flat out beat her. Jessi hated being defeated and trained the whole week afterwards just to be disappointed again.

"Girls." Reprimanded Nicole. "That's enough." They shot icy stares at each other. "You know that school is only a few weeks away," she said still watching the two of them. "I was wondering if you wanted to try going." She steered at Essence.

"I don't like people." She automatically stated. "Plus, I don't know everything."

"You go to school to learn." Nicole reminded her. "Kyle could tutor you. So don't be discouraged just because you don't know much about History or English."

"Too bad you weren't a super genius like the rest of them." Said Josh plopping down on the couch to eat and watch TV.

"I'm still smarter than _you_." Josh snorted and started laughing at himself. Essence liked joking with Josh because he could take it.

"Just try it for a while and if you don't like it you can stop." Nicole continued. "There's nothing you can lose. Kyle and Jessi will be with you so Latnok won't be an issue. Just think about it." Essence nodded, but seriously disliked the thought of getting out of her comfort zone.


	10. Chapter 10

The New Experiment

"Is he a science experiment too?" Essence questioned Kyle while watching the beginning of _Forrest Gump_. Kyle was using the movie as an entertaining way to review U.S. History.

"No." said Kyle patiently.

"Then why does he have those things on his legs?"

"They're called braces. They are there to straighten Forrest's back."

"Oh… but why are they on his legs if they are supposed to straighten his back?" she asked in earnest.

"Would you just stop asking questions and watch the movie." Said Jessi trying to enjoy the movie; she had also never seen _Forrest Gump. _Essence grumpily became silent, and they watched the movie until she interrupted again.

"Elvis." She stated.

"Good." Said Kyle happily; Jessi sighed. By the end of the movie all of the women in the room had tears on their face, except for Essence who was still watching the screen with intensity. _"The way that feather moves is so beautiful!" _She mentally exclaimed.

"That's not the point of why we're watching this." Kyle reminded her out loud. "What things do you remember from your lessons?"

"Well, there was the Watergate Scandal, Kennedy's assassination, Vietnam war, Civil Rights, and the Black Panthers."

"You forgot Seventies Counterculture, Robert Kennedy's assassination, the forming of the Apple Computer, Hurricane Carmen, the desegregation of Alabama University, the attempt to assassinate President Reagan, and the AIDS epidemic."

"I already hate school and I haven't even gone yet." She stated annoyed. She got up and began walking toward the kitchen. "Are there any pickles in the refrigerator?" she asked Nicole.

"Why?" Nicole half-laughed. "You already ate dinner."

"I don't know." She said thinking. "I just feel like pickles tonight." She shrugged and made her way to her room.

"That was weird." Stated Josh.

"Yeah." Agreed Lori. "Is our family anything but?"

Soon the next few weeks flew by. Amanda had moved away and school was starting back up again. Two things that were ultimately depressing for Kyle. It was the first day of school and everyone already hated the early-morning routine. Essence was the first to be ready; she slowly chewed her toast as butterflies enveloped her stomach.

"Is that what you're wearing?" Said Jessi, who really didn't mean it as an insult.

"Yes." Essence snapped. "It's comfortable." She looked down at her gym shorts and T-shirt and felt lost again. They all loaded up in the car; of course they had to wait on Josh, and left in a hurry. Like Kyle's first day of school, Nicole led Essence into the school.

"Now remember, don't leave the testing room unless told to. And make sure you finish all of your tests. If you have any problems finding your way around just ask someone; everyone is friendly." Essence nodded nervously; eyeing everyone who walked near.

"Everyone keep the story straight, Essence is one of Jessi's friends from her old school." Everyone agreed for the hundredth time that morning, and Lori, Josh, and Jessi left to their respective classes. "Don't be worried." Kyle consoled. "I'm sure your first day will be much better than mine." With that he smiled and walked away.

"Kyle's right." Said Nicole reassuringly. "You'll do fine."

"Mrs. Trager." Greeted Principal Hoover, who was not thoroughly overjoyed.

"Mr. Hoover." Replied Nicole.

"Is this the new student?" He inquired looking slightly interested. Essence hid a disgusted look; she didn't like him at all.

"Yes, this is Essence Nichols. Her parents are out of town on business and asked if I would bring her here for her first day."

"Ah." Responded Principal Hoover. "Are you ready for five hours of testing?" He asked half-joking. Essence gave him a half-smile just as Nicole had instructed; be nice to them and they'll be nice to you. "This way then." He said heading to the testing room. Essence looked back at Nicole once then followed uncomfortably behind him. "We'll start with History first." He guided. "I will be in to check on you, do you have any questions?" Essence shook her head and picked up one of her pencils. "In that case, you may begin."

Essence went steadily through her tests, jumping each time a bell rang or when a student rudely knocked on the door. Her head was beginning to hurt, and she was thankful for the five-minute breaks that Principal Hoover allowed, even though she disliked the man. Finally, her testing time was over and she was able to join Kyle in his P.E. class. She clung to him like a flea on a dog, and refused to talk with anyone.

"You know that you are going to be by yourself most of the school day, don't you?" He asked while sitting with her on the bleachers.

"Yes." She said. "But I'm not right now." She was being very stubborn.

"It's not that bad. Just try and make some friends."

_"Are you going to visit Amanda?"_ she mentally asked. She looked as if she were staring into space.

"I don't know." Kyle answered with his mind. "It sure would surprise her mother. I would look like a stalker." The bell rang for the last period of school and Essence headed toward the Front Office to meet with Nicole. She walked agily through the hall, not looking at anyone.

"How was your first day?" She asked warmly; Essence gave her a look. "That bad huh?"

"Well, Mrs. Trager the results are in and it looks like she will be able to start normal classes tomorrow." Said Principal Hoover holding some papers in his hand. "If you could just fill out some paperwork."

They were finally home, and the day had seemed to take forever. Lori, Kyle, Jessi, and Josh were all standing in the yard talking about their day back.

"Where's Essence?" Josh asked.

"Somewhere in the house." Said Kyle listening for her heartbeat.

"She seemed kind of bummed today." He stated.

"She'll get over it." Said Jessi unconversationally.

"I guess she doesn't like school." Josh continued.

"No." said Essence right beside him. "It sucks." Josh and Lori had both jumped a mile at her sudden appearance.

"You've got to stop doing that!" He said exasperated. She ignored him and continued.

"Do we really have to go back tomorrow?" she complained.

"Yes!" They all answered together, tired of he constant nagging.


	11. Chapter 11

The New Experiment

"What're you doing?" said Essence pulling the covers over her head. Lori was rummaging around in Essence's pile of clothing, already dressed herself.

"You're not going to make any friends at school if you look like a slob." Stated Lori picking up a few articles of clothing. Essence groaned when she realized that she was going to be forced to wear real clothes. Lori dragged her upstairs to work her magic.

"TA-DA!" Lori announced as she entered the kitchen where the rest of the family were eating. "I think I'm a miracle worker." Essence walked in looking grumpy and slightly embarrassed. She was wearing a simple blue dress with a complementary pair of flip-flops and jacket. Her hair was shiny and slightly curled at the ends. She even had a slight bit of make up on. Josh cat called from the table while both Kyle and Nicole complemented her. Jessi looked as if she was about to say something, but Essence cut her off.

"Don't say a thing." Jessi looked a little hurt.

"I was going to say that you looked nice."

"Oh." Essence squeaked surprised.

When they arrived at school Kyle showed Essence how to follow her schedule and then told her where to find him during break. Her first class was English, and she sat down in a desk at the back of the class. She hoped that people would pay less attention to her there. She didn't know how to react towards others, and didn't want any sort of confrontation to come from her lack of people skills. Trying to become more comfortable, she quickly slipped her shoes off, getting irritated by the thong of the flip-flops between her toes.

A rather large group of kids entered the room. They were loud and rowdy, and only took a seat after the bell rang. A boy with dirty blonde/brown hair sat next to her. He stared at her for a second.

"Hi." He said confidently. "My name's Paul. Are you a new student here?" Essence looked at him, and he looked confused for a second. "Are you wearing contacts or are your eyes really that color?"

"They are really that way." Said Essence shyly.

"Cool. I've heard of people having different colored eyes, but I never thought I'd see one." He seemed to think for a moment. "Sorry, what's your name?"

"Essence." She replied dully. She liked him in a way that was comical, even though he had done nothing to laugh at.

"Nichols?" Said the teacher suddenly.

"Here." Essence responded automatically.

"Good." He said smiling, "But I haven't started roll yet. Could you come up here please, I need you to sign for your book." She grudgingly walked over to his desk, kind of nervous. "Just sign here." He said handing her a piece of paper. She turned around with her book in hand when he spoke again. "I must remind you that shoes are part of the dress code."

"Sorry." She murmured, walking quickly to her desk and slipping her shoes back on. Snickers ran through the room but the teacher disregarded them and continued. Essence felt embarrassed for the first time in a long time, and it brought back many horrible memories. The class went by slowly, and Essence had a hard time paying attention. She kept getting distracted by what everyone else was doing. The people here were a lot different than the Tragers, and Essence found it interesting to watch their behavior.

"How was your first class?" Kyle asked her during break. They were both in art class together and he was looking forward to her thoughts on school.

"_It's very hard for me to pay attention here."_ She complained. _"Everyone is doing things all around me; sometimes they talk about me during class." _

"Yeah." Said Kyle. "They think new kids are interesting. Just keep trying, it will get easier eventually." She smiled slightly and continued her thoughts. Essence liked art; even though she could not fully use her talents.

Soon it was time for lunch, and Essence, Kyle, and Jessi sat at a table together. Essence quickly dove into her food; she suddenly realized how hungry she was. She couldn't help noticing a conversation that was being whispered behind them.

"Of course she's sitting with _them_." Said one girl.

"Supposedly she's one of Jessi's old friends." Said another.

"Makes sense, I guess." Said a third. Their sudden silence must have meant incredulous looks from the others. "I'm just saying. I mean, they are a lot alike. Both pretty quiet, well for the most part, and well they all are kind of… weird." The conversation dropped.

"Sorry." Essence whispered.

"Don't worry about it." Muttered Jessi unemotionally; however, she did stab at her macaroni a little more forcibly than necessary. The rest of the day slowly passed and they all were home, being lazy and sitting around. Essence had hidden herself away again, and Kyle found her in her room. She had already changed into her all time favorite gym shorts and tee shirt.

"What are you doing?" he asked peering over her shoulder.

_"Interpreting."_ She said holding up a picture. In her messy hands she held a picture. In the picture were Kyle and Jessi sitting next to each other at lunch. Jessi's face looked upturned and Kyle's showed sympathy. It was like the rest of her drawings; different and strange colors danced throughout the background.

"Interpreting what?" asked Kyle, wanting to know her reasons for the word choice.

_"Interpreting how people are, what their reactions mean, who they are…" _

"How do you do that with a picture?" he said confused.

_"It helps me review."_

"What does this picture mean then?" She paused for a minute, thinking.

_"Jessi wants to be liked by people, but every time she does something it always seems to backfire on her. I think she doesn't like who she is sometimes because of that." _

"And me?"

_"And you feel sorry for her." _She added mellow dramatically.


	12. Chapter 12

The New Experiment

It was the next day and Essence was sitting in English class, slightly bored. The class was going over grammar homework, and Mr. Vanhise, the teacher, was having a slight debate with one of the students about the proper way to speak.

"But everyone says it so why does it matter?" complained the student.

"If someone jumped off of a bridge would you do it too?" stated Mr. Vanhise matter-of-factly.

"Yes." Essence blurted out. She immediately regretted it; she forgot that not everyone could jump off a bridge and survive. They all looked at her like she was nuts, and she wished she could turn invisible. When the bell rang she took off as quickly as she could. She hid in a bathroom stall and collected her vicarious emotions.

She emerged from the bathroom only after homeroom ended; she wanted to avoid her classmates from English as much as possible. She walked up the staircase, the art room was on the second floor, vowing not to tell Kyle and Jessi about her screw up. Unfortunately, she ran into Paul halfway up. She tried to shy away, but he spotted her immediately.

"Don't worry about it." He said noticing her embarrassed visage. "You were completely off in space when you heard Mr. Vanhise ask a question. You didn't know he was talking about jumping off a bridge." Essence blushed a little and gave an appreciative smile. He looked annoyed for a moment, which confused Essence.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"They threw my homework up there." He said pointing to the place where the staircase met the ceiling. "I guess I'll just have to tell Mrs. Walker that I forgot it at my dad's place."

"I'll get it." Said Essence dropping her books and slipping off her shoes. She hopped onto the banister, and began to balance her way up it. She grabbed the crumpled up homework and walked her way back down easily.

"Are you a gymnast or something?" Paul asked as she jumped down and handed him the homework.

"Something like that." She said taking her books from him. They stood in an awkward silence for a moment, until Paul had an "Uh Oh" look on his face. Essence was about to ask him what was wrong again, but a voice answered her.

"Breaking the dress code again Miss Nichols?" Said Mr. Vanhise behind her. She groaned inwardly and cursed herself for not putting her shoes back on.

"You're going to be suspended for the rest of the day. Come with me to the principal's office."

"Fine." She said in a tone fit to kill. "But I won't be coming back." She let her books slam to the floor and walked past Mr. Vanhise. She plowed through the hall and straight out the doors, not even looking back at the shouting Mr. Vanhise.

Kyle was walking towards the park in slight desperation. The fact that Essence walked right out of school was going to make it hard to get her back in. He knew that she was in a very aggressive mood, so that was not going to help the situation. He wished he knew what had happened, but all Mr. Vanhise had said was that she failed to follow the dress code. When he found her he was surprised to see her sitting calmly in a tree, much too high for a normal person to climb.

"I'm not going back." She said before he reached her view.

"What happened?" He asked carefully.

"Too many demands." She said avoiding an easy argument. "I don't belong there and you know it. It is too hard for someone who has never interacted normally with humans to act normally at all." She said all of this in a normal, almost nonchalant tone.

"You can't give up." Said Kyle serenely. This was the turning point of the conversation. Essence pinned Kyle down with her stare, her eyes fierce and annoyed.

"I don't go back on promises."

"What promise?" asked Kyle feeling as if he had missed some sort of vital information.

"I told him I was not coming back, _and I am not."_ She said finishing her sentence telepathically.

"But what will happen if you don't go back? People will wonder what has happened to you, and I don't think being normal has anything to do with this. Jessi and I are nowhere near normal. It just takes time to get used to it."

"I have a question." She said standing up on the tree limb.

"What?" said Kyle taken aback.

"Is this normal?" she said stomping on the limb. It cracked and fell to the ground, and she landed gracefully beside it. _"Or this?" _She said jumping up onto the swing set's top pole and running across it. She then did two back flips like a professional gymnast and landed next to Kyle on the ground. "How about this?" she said lifting her hand in front of her. Concentrated for a moment and then a bird landed in her palm. Kyle didn't know what to say. He was confused by what had just happened, and was unable to come up with a good answer.

"You can talk to animals." He said watching the bird fly away.

_" Communicate is the proper term." _She stood for a moment in silence then added in a somber tone. _"The difference between you, Jessi, and I is how we were brought up. You had a nice family, Jessi learned to adapt even though it was not the easiest route, and I was raised in solitary confinement. Imagine the malcontent I have for people. When I was little I wanted someone to play with, but they always acted afraid of me. And when I was sad no one ever came to comfort me. I was just a little kid like everyone else, but I was treated like a contagious disease. They feared me." _She stopped and rubbed her head for a moment, like she was trying to calm the memory tornado inside her head. "I would have been nice to them if they had been nice to me." She said out loud.

"But there are people like the Tragers who love you, you must know that?"

"Yes." She said with a slight smile in her lips. "It's just a hard habit to break." Kyle was about to say something, but Essence cut him off. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's just go home."

"You look tired." He said noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

_"And I could still beat you home."_


	13. Chapter 13

The New Experiment

It was the next morning and Kyle was going through his morning routine. After his shower he walked into the kitchen where the rest of the family was eating breakfast. Nicole handed Kyle a plate then looked concerned.

"Have you seen Essence this morning?" she asked. Everyone stopped eating to listen in.

"No." said Kyle worried as well.

"I picked clothes out for her this morning." Said Lori confused. Kyle went into Nicole's office and opened the closet. It was abandoned, but the blankets were still warm. He listened intently for Essence's heartbeat, but he could not hear one that sounded like hers. He stormed his way back into the kitchen.

"I should have known that she was going to leave!" Kyle said angry with himself.

"She's not here?" said Stephen aghast.

"What are we going to do?" asked Lori, "We're going to be late for school, and it's only the fourth day!"

"I can't miss a day at my new job either." Said Nicole looking torn.

"Jessi and I will look for her. We can afford to miss a day of school." Said Kyle; Jessi looked slightly irritated.

"One day isn't going to hurt her, Essence is capable of taking care of herself for a couple of hours." Said Jessi. "Have you tried to contact her?" Kyle closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Essence?" he asked.

_"Hmm?" _she answered dully, as if she expected him to question her.

"Why did you leave, and where are you?" Kyle said finally getting annoyed with her.

_"I knew you would guilt me into going back to school if I stayed at the house."_

"Where are you?" He repeated.

_"Some where, and that's all you need to know." _Kyle let out an aggravated sigh when he opened his eyes.

"I'm going to call Declan and ask him if I can borrow his car." He stated, already taking his phone out.

"Declan has to go to school today too." Said Lori matter-of-factly.

"Why? Do you know where Essence is?" Asked Jessi overriding Lori.

"I have an idea." He said putting the phone to his ear. "Hey Declan… Yeah I know it's seven in the morning. Listen, Essence left the house this morning and I need a ride." Declan talked on the other side of the phone for a moment while Lori pestered him.

"How did you know Declan was skipping school today?" she asked.

"I just happened to hear him say so." Kyle said honestly. " Hurry and go with Nicole or you'll be late." Lori gave him a "we're not done" look and walked out the door. "Thanks Declan." Said Kyle hanging up the phone. Kyle walked into the living room to find Jessi sitting calmly on the couch.

"How do you know where she is?" she asked.

"I don't think she meant for me to see it, but I glimpsed a picture of JP's Diner when I was talking to her."

"It could be a ploy to lead you in the other direction." Stated Jessi.

"Yes, but it's the only lead I have at this point."

"It is childish, the way she's acting." Jessi concurred. "She is quite different from us." Kyle refrained his reply. He so badly wanted to remind her of her past actions. A car horn blew outside, and it was Declan. "Stay here in case she comes home." Said Kyle walking out the door.

Essence was sitting in one of her old haunts. It was a secluded area in the woods. A stream could be heard running nearby, and the spot was several miles in the opposite direction of the park. She stood up and stretched in the sunlight. She had forgotten how quiet the world was outside of the Trager home. She felt bad for leading Kyle on a faux trail, but it was necessary. She was trying to think of a way to leave without hurting the family's feelings. Soon she would not be able to keep her secret, and she was not sure how they would react. She was afraid of rejection, her one true fear. She had been rejected by people all of her life, and she was not willing to go through that again.

She heard it coming, but she could only move minutely before the bullet hit her. The bullet entered the thick of her thigh and spread pain all the way down her leg. She yelled in pain, and in an adrenaline rush she sped off as fast as she could, trying to escape her hunter. She ran until she felt safe enough to stop. Blood was quickly running down her leg because of her elevated heart rate. She ripped her shirt and used it as a tourniquet. Thinking quickly, she decided not to call on Kyle. She knew that he would be too far away for him to help her at this point. The irony of the situation sickened her; her sending Kyle away could mean life or death. She almost laughed at it; finding it like sick joke. Her only chance was if Jessi remained at the Trager home, which was another irony in itself.

Essence ran as fast as she could in her present condition. She avoided the town until she could no longer help it. Her senses were beginning to blur due to the loss of blood. She limped slowly down the road lightheaded and sick to her stomach. Panic struck her limbs as her vision began to blacken. It seemed to take an eternity to climb up the porch steps, and the door seemed much more difficult to open. She took her hand off of her leg and used the door to steady herself, leaving a bloody handprint behind. Jessi came running down the stairs, surprise evident on her face.

"Jessi… help me." Essence tried to yell, but it came out as a mere mumble. She looked ragged and crazed with sweat and blood all over her. Her vision became fully black, and she swayed dangerously. Her head swam in confusion, and her body trembled. She then finally collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as Jessi ran towards her.


	14. Chapter 14

The New Experiment

"Kyle! Come home quick!" Jessi yelled in Kyle's mind. Kyle jumped in his seat. He was disturbed by Jessi's panicked voice.

"What has happened?" Said Kyle worried.

"Essence has been shot." Pictures of the Trager's door smeared with blood and Essence's face turning ashen entered his mind.

"Is she still alive?"

"Barely."

"I'm coming." He said panicked. "Stop!" He said to Declan, who slammed on the breaks. "We must go home, she's been shot." Declan understood and quickly backed up and turned around.

Kyle bounded out of the car before it came to a complete stop. He rushed into the house, not even taking a second glance at the still bloodstained door. He looked up to see Jessi walking down the stairs. She was carrying bloody sheets in her hands, and her face looked grave and drained.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what was happening, and I couldn't stop it." Said Jessi in a frantic whisper."

"She's dead?" said Kyle, a lump forming in his throat.

"No." Relief filled Kyle, but when his mind registered what Jessi had said first he was confused.

"What's wrong then?" He asked as Declan ran threw the doorway.

"I think she had a miscarriage." Kyle's mind reeled. He didn't know what to say. The three of them stood in silence.

"She was pregnant?" Declan finally said, stunned.

"I should have known." Said Kyle. They looked at him like he was nuts. "She threw up a lot whenever she first came here. Morning sickness? And her strong appetite, weight gain?" He was piecing it together. Jessi was also construing the anomaly.

"Why couldn't we hear the baby's heartbeat?" She asked.

"It must have been too young." Said Kyle sadly. Jessi sighed and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

"I better clean up before Nicole gets home." She said walking to the laundry room.

"Jessi, get some rest." Said Kyle taking the sheets from her. "I'll take care of this." She gave him an annoyed, but great full look.

"I'm tired of dealing with gunshot wounds." She stated as she walked in the direction of the bathroom.

After Kyle set the sheets and towels in a bleach-based wash, he cleaned up the door and entryway of the house. By the time he finished Jessi had fallen asleep on the couch. Declan was sitting next to her, quietly watching the television.

"I'm going to go up." He said to him. Declan nodded seriously and glanced at Jessi before continuing to watch to Television. Kyle walked slowly up the stairs, and climbed up into the attic, which had been transformed into Jessi's room. It was painted a calm shade of lavender and had a low ceiling. The room was stuffy and hot; Kyle noticed that the window was shuttered. Essence was still asleep on the bed. Kyle pulled up a chair and sat at the bedside. He was going to wait there until she woke. Minutes ticked by, and Kyle continued to watch Essence. He counted her breaths and listened to her heart like a human monitor. He ignored the arrival of Nicole, Stephen, Lori, and Josh. Not one of them came up to see them either, but he continued to watch until the sunrays on the bedroom floor had nearly disappeared.

Essence's eyes suddenly fluttered open. Her intake of breath was audible as she quickly sat up. Her hands automatically went to her stomach; she had not noticed Kyle sitting beside her. She grasped the covers and squeezed them, and her knuckles turned white. Kyle, who had gravitated to a slumped position over the time he had watched her, sat up straight. Hearing his movement Essence turned to look at him. He had seen her sad before, but this was different. She did not sob or cry. She just looked at him while one tear trailed down her cheek.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kyle said quietly. He tried to sound non-judgmental.

_"Inexplicable." _She paused. _"Fear." _

"You were too afraid to tell us?" said Kyle feeling slightly hurt.

_"It was the next stage. Latnok." _She explained. _"It was the only reason I escaped. They wanted more, and I wasn't going to let them have it. Not if I could possibly help it." _

"They forced all of this on you." Kyle realized. "Why didn't you just tell us? We would have kept you safer if we had known. We would have taken so many more precautions."

_"I was afraid that you would have sent me away. I did not want to live in hiding with Tom or Adam. I wouldn't have been much safer. They will always hunt for me until I am dead. As far as I'm concerned… my child is in a better place. Even though I would be happier if it were still here with me." _Kyle was about to retort again, but Essence cut him off.

_"Go. I wish to be alone." _Kyle did not refuse her demand. He left her in the dark and walked downstairs into the kitchen. He noticed the smell of the cooking dinner for the first time. Everyone looked somber as he walked into the room.

"She's awake." He said. "And she's very upset." He said leaning on the counter.

"Do you think she would like to talk to me about it?" Said Nicole at once.

"She said she wanted to be alone, but I don't want to leave her by herself for too long." Nicole touched Kyle on the shoulder and then spoke to Lori.

"Please watch this for me." She then walked up the stairs. Everyone else looked around, but avoided eye contact with each other. The tension was like the inside of a funeral home.

"Where's Jessi?" Kyle asked.

"Still asleep." Said Josh. "Anyone know where a permanent marker is?" Everyone laughed, but the mood was not totally lightened.


	15. Chapter 15

The New Experiment

Essence woke up in her room. She had prepared for this day, but sadness seemed to overwhelm her. After a long and grueling talk, Essence decided to leave the Trager family. It was for the good of all of them that she left. She knew that her presence there would only exacerbate the Latnok situation, which was already dangerous to begin with. Plus, even though Essence did not want to admit it, she wanted to be alone. It was her nature to roam the earth, and to be unknown to the world: To be the observer and not the observed.

So Essence dressed in her favorite gym shorts and T-shirt and slowly slinked into the kitchen. Everyone was already there, waiting for her no doubt. They all ate their last breakfast together. No one spoke. The only sound was the clinking of forks and spoons. Finally, it was time to say good-bye.

"It is time for me to go." Said Essence after no one else would speak.

"Are you sure about this?" questioned Nicole for the thousandth time.

"You already know the answer." Essence replied. She hugged Nicole and said, _"Thank you for all you have done, for I will never be able to repay you." _Nicole did not say anything back. She was probably taken aback by the sudden telepathic communication. Next she gave both Lori and Josh a hug. Then she embraced Kyle tightly. _"Don't forget to visit." _Said Essence pointing to her head. Kyle smiled, despite his stormy feelings.

"You could come by for extended vacations." He said half-joking/half-hoping. Essence nodded. She then approached Jessi. She pulled out a piece of rolled up paper and handed it to her.

_"This is my special gift for you."_ Jessi unrolled the paper and found that it was one of the drawings Essence had made of her. _"It shows who you really are, so don't ever lose yourself." _Essence then hugged Jessi and continued. _"Thank you for being there for me, and saving my life." _Essence then proceeded to shake Stephen's hand.

"What I don't get a hug?" He said holding his arms out. Essence let out a laugh, and hugged him a little too powerfully. Essence looked at her family one more time.

"Are you ready?" she said turning to Josh. Josh nodded with defeat and opened the door and began to descend the stairs. "It's not good-bye forever," she said to the rest of them. When Josh reached the driveway Essence bolted out the door. She was barely a blur as she ran and jumped over the fence of the Trager yard.

Essence was telling the truth when she had said it was not good-bye forever. She always talked to Kyle and Jessi with her mind. And every once in a while she would come to the Tragers to visit. She sometimes brought presents for them: like a bear tooth from Canada or an aquamarine from North Carolina. Nicole always insisted on giving her new clothes every time she came, and sometimes a haircut. Needless to say, the Tragers were always happy to see the shoeless, wild girl when she happened to knock on their door, window, or chimney.


	16. Spam Chapter

The New Experiment

**Warning: This is what happens when your fifteen-year-old brother gets ahold of your fanfiction chapter while watching the Kyle XY episode "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"**

It was the next morning and Kyle was going through his morning routine. After his shower he walked into the kitchen where the rest of the family was eating breakfast. Nicole handed Kyle a plate then looked concerned.

"Have you seen Essence this morning?" she asked. Everyone stopped eating to listen in.

"No." said Kyle worried as well.

"I picked clothes out for her this morning." Said Lori confused. Kyle went into Nicole's office and opened the closet. It was abandoned, but the blankets were still warm. He listened intently for Essence's heartbeat, but he could not hear one that sounded like hers. He stormed his way back into the kitchen.

"I should have known that she was going to leave!" Kyle said angry with himself.

"She's not here?" said Stephen aghast.

"What are we going to do?" asked Lori, "We're going to be late for school."

"I can't miss a day at my new job either." Said Nicole looking torn.

"Jessi and I will look for her. We can afford to miss a day of school." Said Kyle; Jessi looked slightly irritated.

"One day isn't going to hurt her, Essence is capable of taking care of herself for a couple of hours." Said Jessi. "Have you tried to contact her?" Kyle closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Essence?" he asked.

_"Hmm?" _she answered dully.

"Why did you leave, and where are you?" Kyle said finally getting annoyed with her.

_"I knew you would guilt me into going back to school if I stayed at the house."_

"Where are you?" He repeated.

_"Some were, and that's all you need to know." _Kyle let out an aggravated sigh when he opened his eyes.

"I'm going to call Declan and ask him if I can borrow his car." He stated, already taking his phone out.

"Declan has to go to school today too." Said Lori matter-of-factly.

"Why? Do you know where Essence is?" Asked Jessi overriding Lori.

"I have an idea." He said putting the phone to his ear. "Hey Declan… Yeah I know it's seven in the morning, Essence left the house this morning and I need a ride." Declan talked on the other side of the phone for a moment while Lori pestered him.

"How did you know Declan was skipping school today?" she asked.

"I just happened to hear him say so. Hurry and go with Nicole or you'll be late." Lori gave him a "we're not done" look and walked out the door. "Thanks Declan." Said Kyle hanging up the phone. Kyle walked into the living room to find Jessi sitting calmly on the couch.

"How do you know where she is?" she asked.

"I don't think she meant for me to see it, but I glimpsed JP's Diner when I was talking to her."

"Oh." Said Jessi. "I want to kill all of the people that are close to me now!" said Jessi. "I eat your babies!! Nom nom nom!" "I want to kill Kyle! Now!" then she reached for Kyle's throat and ripped out his esophagus and watched as he collapsed on the ground gasping for breath. Just then, a l4z3r be4m popped out of Jessi's forehead and she started zapping everything and everyone. She said "I'm a chargin' mah LAY-ZER!!!!" Jessi went to hunt down Cassidy and found him in a garbage can with a sailor suit singing "I'm just a prom night dumpster baby!" eating a peach cobbler. She zapped him with her l4z3r and laughed as he screamed and then realized he was her one true love and then she set her l4z3r to heal and then they went to Texas to have an illegitimate Mexican marriage.


End file.
